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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Estrogen replacement in menopause should be used for specific symptoms such as ovarian failure, hot flushes, vaginal atrophy, atrophy of the vulva, and atrophic urethritis. The dose should be as low as possible to be effective and perscribed for as short as time as possible, since there are possible risks of uterine cancer, breast cancer, increased blood pressure, gallstones, deep vein thrombosis, and thromboembolism. Estrogens should be administered to provide the maximum benefit with the minimum risk involved. Estrogens should not be given to patients with known contraindications such as: suspected breast or uterine cancer; undiagnosed genital bleeding; Dubin-Johnson syndrome; acute hepatic disease; previous or present thromboembolism; or severe thrombophlebitis. Careful evaluation should be made before administering estrogen to women with uterine myomata, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, sevare varicose veins, chronic hepatic dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, porphyria, or severe hypertension.
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PMID:Estrogen replacement in the menopause. 39 Apr 56

Estrogens, in common with barbiturates and other drugs provoking acute intermittent prophyria (AIP), increase the activity of delta-ALA synthetase. A case history documenting an AIP attack upon withdrawal of oral contraceptives (OCs) concluded that the patient's high endogenous estrogen secretion on withdrawal revealed an otherwise latent abnormality. A 29-year-old woman who had taken Gynovlar 21 for 8 years with no adverse effects complained of proximal myopathy 3 weeks after cessation of OCs. Though the initial complaint resolved spontaneously upon menstruation, 3 weeks later she complained of acute colicky abdominal pains, anorexia, and muscle aches. Gentamicin therapy was started, and emergency laparotomy was performed 2 days later after the patient developed ileus, sinus tachycardia (100/minute), and hypertension (150/110 mm of Hg). Laparotomy was essentially negative. Postoperatively, the sinus tachycardia and hypertension persisted; Tuinal administration resulted in return of muscle pains and clinical diagnosis of AIP. The patient was treated with Hycal, fluid restriction, and soluble aspirin. After 2 weeks she improved clinically and serum electrolytes were normal. Blood pressure settled to 130/80 and pulse rate to 90/minute. This case appears unique in that symptoms presented upon withdrawal of OCs.
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PMID:Acute intermittent porphyria on withdrawal of oral contraceptives. 68 89

One of the major problems being researched and studied by the World Health Organization is the incidence of harmful side effects in users of steroid contraceptives. A literature search indicates that Anglo-Saxon countries report alarming hyperplastic changes, particularly in the liver, blood clots, hyperlipidemia leading to high blood pressure, porphyria, atypical leiomyomas and cervical hyperplasia. Currently attention is being focused on the relationship between steroid contraceptives and breast cancer. Fazala and Paffenbarger in their study of 1770 women found such benign changes as fibroadenoma, mastopathia fibrosa cystica and papilloma intraductale. In women who had used oral contraceptives for 2-4 yrs, malignancies were 1.9% to 2.5% more frequent than in non-users; in 6 yrs of use, 11 times greater than in non-users. Estrogens, particularly mestranol has been recognized as being harmful to the liver. Length of usage is a definite factor. Beginning with 1960, relatively frequent occurrences of hepotoma in young women on the pill were noted. Caught at an early stage, peliosis hepatis can be reversed if the patient discontinues the use of contraceptives. In some cases, even after a long interval of 6 months to 10 yrs, the disease continued to develop. Liver cell adenoma in the U. S. occurs 1/500,00 to 1/1,000,000. After 5 to 7 yrs of using oral contraceptives, the chance of developing liver cell adenoma is 5 times greater; after 10 yrs of use, 35 times greater. Hepatomas rupture in 43.4% of cases when the patient had been on a contraceptive, while in only 22.2% in cases of non-users. The literature which the author investigated did not establish a clear proof that the hyperplastic changes discussed were due exclusively to usage of oral contraceptives.
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PMID:[Hyperplastic changes and oral contraceptives in Anglo-Saxon countries]. 69 6

Guidelines for the climacteric administration of estrogen are presented. Estrogens should be given in as low dosages and for as short a time as possible. Estrogens should not be given prophylactically, but only to alleviate actual symptoms. Estrogens should be administered cyclically and dosages should be adjusted to the individual case. A gynecologic examination and cytologic tests should be given before administering estrogens, 6 months after the beginning of treatment, and once a year thereafter. Liver dysfunction, breast or endometrial cancer, hypertension, and any thromboembolic or vascular illness are contraindications to climacteric estrogen use.
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PMID:[Norwegian guidelines on estrogen treatment]. 86 6

The side effects of using estrogen treatments to relieve menopausal symptoms in women are presented. Estrogens are effective in relieving headaches, vertigo, palpitations, and nervous symptoms such as depression, as well as degeneration and atrophy of the genital organs. In Norway, 2.5% of women over 45 as compared with 50% in the U.S. use estrogens to relieve menopausal symptoms. The incidence of endometrial cancer has risen from 9.2/100,000 in 1955 to 15.4 in 1974. Increased susceptibility to endometrial cancer has been linked to long-term use of estrogens, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and nulliparity. In American studies, Premarin has been associated with increased risk of cancer related to the chemical equilinine, which has a long half-life. After menopause, the need for estrogen is met by the conversion of androstenedione, which is produced by the adrenal gland. When estrogens are taken, it may result in an overstimulation of the endometrium, which could cause cancer. Estrogens have bene found useful and safe for short-term relief of menopausal symptoms, and any patient using estrogens should be under routine observation to prevent development of cancer.
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PMID:[From the Adverse Drug Reaction Committee. Can long-term estrogen treatment induce uterine neoplasms in post-climacteric women?]. 125 36

Epidemiological data have revealed that the progestogen in oral contraceptives (OCs) is involved in hypertension, ischemic heart diseases, and stroke. Atherosclerotic lesions were implicated owing to the androgenic properties of progestogens. However, atherosclerosis did not develop despite reduced high density lipoprotein (HDL) and elevated low density lipoprotein (LDL), presumably because of the strong effect of ethinyl estradiol (EE) upon induction of hepatic LDL- and remnant-receptors. A series of findings indicate that vasospasms caused by the effect of progestogens are involved in arterial thromboses. In postmenopausal women, the addition of progestogens to the estrogen treatment may trigger ischemic diseases. Estrogens exert a vasodilatory effect and stabilize the vascular tonus through the responsiveness of the endothelium, neurotransmitter release, and direct blocking of calcium channels. Progestogens increase the sensitivity of arteries to vasoconstrictory compounds and reduce blood flow. In women treated with ovulation inhibitors, and EE-induced activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system was observed. Aldosterone acts vasodilatorily, while progestogens with high affinity to the aldosterone receptor may exert a strong vasoconstrictory effect. If vascular lesions are present, the vasoconstrictory action of progestogens may cause acute ischemic attacks. Therefore, the lowest effective dose of the progestogen has to be used for replacement therapy. In hysterectomized women, the extra administration of progestogens should be avoided and in women with arterial diseases they should be prescribed with discretion. Additional progestogens given for 14 days 3 months apart may suffice for the prevention of endometrial hyperplasia. Both the EE and progestogen doses in OCs should be reduced. Progestogen-dominant ovulation inhibitors should be restricted to cases with an additional indication.
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PMID:[Hormonal contraception and substitution therapy: the importance of progestogen for cardiovascular diseases]. 145

The results of 3 large British studies on the vascular effects of oral contraceptives are discussed, considering the dose of estrogen and of progestin separately. The studies are of 1305 reports to the Committee on Safety of Drugs between 1965 and 1969; of 2000 reports to the Committee on Safety of Medicines from 1964-1977, and the Royal College of General Practitioners study on 46,000 women beginning in 1968. All 3 studies found that both venous and arterial thromboembolic events increased with dose of mestranol. 2 of the 3 studies showed an increased risk of arterial disease with dose of norethisterone acetate, and 1 found an excess of strokes with higher doses of levonorgestrel. Estrogens are known to raise the level of the clotting factor VIIc in a dose dependent manner in both women taking post-menopausal estrogens and in men being treated for cancer. Analogous reports have appeared for a decrease in antithrombin-III. Progestins seem to increase the incidence of hypertension with increased dose. Thus the effects of progestins on blood pressure may mediate their arterial effects.
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PMID:Risks and mechanisms of cardiovascular events in users of oral contraceptives. 328 35

Certain physiological and pathological conditions in women require choice of a contraceptive method that will not aggravate the condition or exacerbate known side effects. IUDs and oral contraceptives (OCs) are not appropriate for the immediate postpartum. Low dose progestins appear best suited and can be started on the 5th day after delivery. IUDs and high dose discontinuous progestins are the best choices for the menopausal period, but contraindications to them must be respected. Contraception with a dominant progestational climate is required in case of benign breast disease. Low dose progestins may cause luteal insufficiency and low dose combined OCs may allow endogenous estradiol secretion poorly balanced by the progestin. All progestin-dominant formulations and discontinuous 19-norsteroids may be used. 19-norsteroids appear suitable for women with breast cancer because of their antiestrogenic activity. High dose progestins are advisable for women with precancerous or cancerous endometrial pathology. Estrogens should be avoided in such cases. Cervical cancer has never been proven to be hormonodependent, and at present the use of hormonal contraception in cervical dysplasia is not contraindicated except after pelvic radiation for invasive cancer. Use of the IUD has the same indications as for the general population after lesions have been treated. In cases of hyperlipidemia, low doses of continuously administered 19-norsteroids cause a decline of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol but are considered to be without longterm metabolic effects. The new progestin desogestrel does not diminish HDL cholesterol. Many cases of hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia contraindicate OCs at the usual dose and require mechanical contraception, although low dose progestins may be considered. Derivatives of 17-hydroxyprogesterone are without effects on lipid metabolism but are less reliable. No contraceptive method is fully satisfactory for diabetics. Hormonal contraception is risky because of possible metabolic and vascular effects. Low dose progestins have the fewest side effects but are often poorly tolerated. IUDs are often used for diabetics despite possible increased risks of infection and failure. Hypertensive women should not use combined OCs or high-dose 19-norsteroids, but low dose progestins carry no risk of hypertension. Women at vascular risk are advised to use IUDs if no specific contraindications are found. Otherwise low-dose progestins are an acceptable choice. Low dose progestins are often the only possibility for cardiac patients. Nonhypertensive women with renal insufficiency can use OCs under careful supervision if there are no contraindications. Combined OCs are contraindicated when there is any disturbance of hepatic function, but low dose progestins or mechanical means are acceptable. Chronic use of certain drugs which act as enzymatic inductors is incompatible with hormonal contraception.
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PMID:[Contraception at risk]. 365 96

Drug companies have been at work throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s trying to reduce the steroid content of their oral contraceptives (OCs). Researchers have been successful in reducing steroid content while maintaining effectiveness, thereby making OCs safer. In the 1st half of the natural menstrual cycle, a woman secretes estrogen as the dominant steroid product. In the 2nd half, estrogen is the principal reproductive hormone. Estrogens inhibit ovulation, possibly by inhibiting implantation, altering ovum transplant, or in some way preventing corpus luteum function, which is necessary to maintain early pregnancies and the endometrium. There are still only 2 estrogens and 6 progestins on the market today. They are probably the most thoroughly studied chemical ever seen in the history of pharmacy or medicine. 1 of the estrogens, mestranol, is really a drug of the past. In the body, mestranol is converted to ethinyl estradiol, the other estrogen on the market. Consequently, there is no reason to use mestranol itself. Within the dose range of 50-100 mcg, there's little difference in contraceptive effect. Progestins are the other active ingredient in the combination OC. Their principal action is the thickening of the cervical mucus, which prevents sperm penetration. Also, with sufficient progesterone, ovulation is inhibited, but this happens in only 40% of those patients taking, for instance, the "mini-pill" (which consists of progesterone only). The progestins and the estrogens work in concert to make OCs a highly effective contraceptive method. Recent surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and National Cancer Institute looked into the relative effectiveness of OCs. Nordette had a use effectiveness failure rate of 3.5; Ovral, 3.6. Loestrin 1/20 -- norethindrone acetate, 1 mg, and estinyl estradiol, 20 mcg -- shows a failure rate of 4.5. This indicates that the threshold for an effective dose of estinyl estradiol in OCs is 30 mcg. For 1 mini-pill, Ovrette, the failure rate is 9.5 -- much higher. Depo-Provera has a failure rate of 0.7. The primary complaint from women taking OCs is spotting and breakthrough bleeding during the cycle. 30-50% of women given OCs stop taking them within a year. OC side effects include nausea, fluid retention, breast tenderness, leukorrhea, hypomenorrhea, headaches, spotting around the face, hypertension, and visual changes. 1 of the risks of birth control pills may be cervical dysplasia -- changes in the cells of the cervix. The relative risk of cervical cancer with OCs after 5-9 years is approximately 1.8. Clinical cases of deep vein thrombosis number 1/1000 per year among nonusers of OCs. Among users, the rate is 3 times as high: 3/1000. The most serious potential adverse effect is myocardial infarction. Of the excess deaths attributed to OCs (23.3 total per 100,000 users), 22.7 are due to myocardial infarctions and hemorrhage. The discussion also briefly reviews other methods of contraception -- Depo-Provera, male contraceptives, implants, the diapragm, and IUDs.
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PMID:Prescription contraceptives: countering the risks. 405 Jun 70

Among the forms of endocrine hypertension, attention has recently been turned, apart from pheochromocytoma, to hypertensions caused by overproduction of mineralocorticoids. In this category are included, in addition to the classic Conn syndrome, aldosteronism associated with bilateral adrenal hypertrophy, dexamethasone-suppressible aldosteronism, and overproduction of mineralocorticoids (other than aldosterone) in the case of defects in the steroidogenesis enzyme system. In these cases, mineralocorticoid overproduction is accompanied by a low level of renin, by hypokalemic alkalosis. Secondary hyperaldosteronism, due to the stimulation of aldosterone secretion by increased activity of the renin-angiotension system, occurs during the malignant phase and in cases of renovascular hypertension. Estrogens, in cyclically secreted physiological quantities, have rather a protective effect on the origination of hypertension. At high dosages (as in contraceptives), estrogens can induce or aggravate hypertension in susceptible women by their effect on the activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, notably by increasing the renin substrate. In the case of essential hypertension, deviations were found in the functioning of catecholamine storage granules in the sympathetic nerve endings. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system functions as an accelerating factor only in the advanced phase of essential hypertension, and the possibility of its participation in development of malignancy cannot be eliminated. A special group is comprised of essential hypertension with renin suppression, which is associated with a relatively high level of urinary excretion of dopamine as compared with noradrenalin. In renovascular hypertension, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system most often functions as an etiopathogenetic factor at the onset of the disease. In advanced stages, increased blood pressure levels must be considered to be attributable to other factors. Blood pressure regulati on and idiopathogenesis in hypertension cases are complex processes induced by the interaction of several different hemodynamic, nervous, and humoral factors. The study of humoral factors contributes to etiopathogenetic understanding and to the differential diagnosis of the various kinds of hypertension.
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PMID:[New data on hormone-dependent hypertension and their significance for the practice]. 434 13


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